India Canada Trade Relations

India Canada trade relations have flourished in spite of the fact that Canada was one of the founder members of NATO while India was not. Both countries have shared a cordial and productive trading relationship right since the days of Indian independence.

After a decline in India Canada trading relations in the 1970s due to India's Peaceful Nuclear Explosion, trade between India and Canada picked up in the 1990s. In 1997, Canada started focusing on India in a big way, after the financial crisis in south east Asia. Canada then zeroed in on India intending to tap its huge trading potential. However, after India conducted nuclear tests in 1998, Canada once again went on an alert as far as its trading relations with India were concerned. But in 1999, after the Indian visit of the then Secretary of State for Asia Pacific, Raymond Chan, India Canada Trade Relations resumed once again economic alliances were agreed upon.

Facts and figures

According to trade analysts, Canada's share in Indian exports is a little more than 1% and its share in India's imports is even less than 1%. In 1992, Indian exports to Canada were worth C$ 280 million. That went up to C$ 1326 million in 2003. Canadian exports to India have increased slightly to around C$ 660 million in 2003 from around C$ 530 million in 1992. Bilateral trade between India and Canada was as high as C$2.45 billion in 2004. In 2003, India's total exports to Canada were pegged at around ` 3500 crore and imports from Canada were worth ` 3336 crore.

Traded items

Some of the main items imported by Canada from India are:

Textiles

Carpets

Floor spreads

Readymade garments

Jewelry

Cotton yarn

Organic chemicals

Coffee

Spices

Iron and steel articles

Rice, cereals, processed foods

Marine products

Footwear

The main items exported by Canada to India are:

Peas

Copper

Minerals

Industrial chemicals

Newsprint

Wood pulp

Asbestos

Iron scrap

For a detailed account of India Canada Trade Relations, please visit the following links: